Performance Concentration Auditions

Audition Dates

Saturday, December 3, 2022 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Sunday, December 4, 2022 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Saturday, January 21, 2023 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Sunday, January 22, 2023 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Saturday, January 28, 2023 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Sunday, January 29, 2023 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Friday, February 3, 2023 (Los Angeles)
Saturday, February 4, 2023 (Los Angeles)
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 (Chicago, Palmer House Hilton)
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 (Chicago, Palmer House Hilton)

Deadlines

The university application deadline has been extended to November 8, 2022. Late applications will be accepted, but only on a case-by-case basis.

For all applicants interested in being considered for an in-person callback, the deadline to submit pre-screening materials has been extended to November 15, 2022.

If you are a Performance or Design and Production Concentration applicant and you note our December audition and interview dates as your preferred callback date, you will be notified of your prescreen result no later than Monday, November 21, 2022.

All other first-year applicants will be notified of their prescreen result no later than Friday, December 2, 2022. All transfer applicants will be notified of their prescreen result no later than Friday, December 16, 2022.

Transfer students, please note: The deadline for pre-screening materials follows a different schedule. Please refer to the Transfers page for more information.

Pre-screening Requirements and Guidelines

Please submit the following materials to be considered for an in-person interview and audition:

  • A photo and resume
  • A self-tape of one personal story
  • A self-tape of one classical monologue

Self-Tape Information

We do not expect a professional film set up. Self-taping on a phone is fine. We ask that you tape from waist up. Please make sure that your videos are filmed in a quiet environment with little background noise; have a clear and legible picture from the waist up; and have good clear audio. If possible, film in front of a neutral background with adequate lighting.

Personal Story should follow these guidelines:

  • This is an opportunity to share an experience or story. We prefer that this story reflect your own personal experience. However, if you choose a subject outside your own particular experience, it must be an original story. Potential stories can include: how your passion for theatre was ignited; a funny anecdote; overcoming a challenge; a personal memory; or your relationship to a photo or object.
  • This is a story - with a beginning, middle and end.
  • You can reference written notes, if that’s helpful. But remember this is a sharing. We’d like you to connect and speak authentically from a place of comfort and relaxation. We want to get to know you!
  • Please keep this to no longer than 2 minutes.

Classical monologues should follow these guidelines:

  • Please slate your self-tape with your name and location at the top
  • One classical monologue (i.e. Shakespearean, Restoration, the Greeks, Sanskrit, Noh, Kabuki; It does not have to be in verse)
  • Your monologue should be a maximum of 1.5 minutes long. Please time your monologues as you prepare for your audition.
    Monologue Advice
    • Choose material that you're passionate about. The first thing we learn about you is your choice of play and character. It reveals what work draws you.
    • It is acceptable to play against how you currently identify (age, gender, etc…)
    • We don't recommend using a dialect. We want to get to know your natural voice.
    • Embody your scenes with as much movement and physicality as possible.
    • Your audition will not include singing.
    • No costumes are needed.

To submit materials:

You must submit an application for admission to Fordham University in order to upload your pre-screening materials. This will include a photo/resume and a self-tapes. Once you have applied, you will receive credentials to log into the Online Applicant Portal after the Office of Admission has acknowledged receipt of your admission application via email. Once you receive your credentials, please log into the Online Applicant Portal, find the section called Portfolio or Materials. This is where you will upload your pre-screening materials.

After you submit your pre-screening materials, you will receive a confirmation of its receipt. If the panel offers you a callback, then you will receive an invitation to a live audition with a classical monologue on a specified callback date.

The audition will be with May Adrales, Director of the Theatre Program and Co-Head of the Performance Concentration and Matthew Maguire, Co-Head of the Performance Concentration.

Auditions begin at 10:00 a.m.; auditions are scheduled every few minutes throughout the day. Please be early for your audition. We will make every attempt to stay on schedule, but please be prepared to stay later than your scheduled time should we run late. You should plan to be available for 30-45 minutes for your audition.

The day of the audition, you will also have the opportunity to talk with our Student Ambassadors about the program while you wait for your appointment time. The Ambassadors will provide tours of the school, including the dorms, throughout the day.

Finally, you will also have the option to attend a Fordham Theatre Q&A session. The Q&A session will begin each audition day at 1:00 p.m. and will be approximately 45 minutes long. During this time, the Theatre faculty will talk with parents and prospective students about the program, our community, and life at Fordham. A representative from the Office of Undergraduate Admission will also be present to answer any questions you have regarding admission, housing, and financial aid.

Your callback audition will consist of a classical monologue that follows the same guidelines and can be identical to your pre-screening materials submission. However, if you choose to present new material at your callback, please also be prepared to perform the monologue you submitted as part of your pre-screening materials.

Questions?

Contact: [email protected] or call 212-636-7562.